Both Th17 and Tc17 cells have been found in various tumors and may play important roles in regulating anti-tumor immune responses. However, the prevalence and distribution of Th17 and Tc17 cells in thyroid tumors are still unclear. In the current study, we examined the percentages of Th17 and Tc17 cells in the peripheral blood of 31 thyroid adenoma and 11 thyroid carcinoma patients. The serum IL-17 levels were also examined and their associations with Th17 and Tc17 cells were evaluated. Moreover, the presence of Th17 cells was detected in both thyroid adenoma and carcinoma patients. Our results showed that compared with healthy individuals, patients with thyroid tumors had a higher proportion of Th17 and lower proportion of Tc17 cells in peripheral blood. The serum concentration of IL-17 was significantly increased in patients with thyroid tumors and it was correlated with the percent of Th17 cells. Furthermore, the number of Th17 cells was significantly increased in the tumors of the patients. Th17 and Tc17 cells were negatively correlated with the tumor size. There was no significant difference between thyroid adenoma and carcinoma patients. These results indicate that Th17 cells may contribute to thyroid tumor pathogenesis. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.